Improvement in cheese-vat



PAsCHAL COLVIN, or 'PEGATONICg/i, ILLINOIS.

Letters .Patent No.' 80,335, dated July 28, 1868..

IMPROVEMENT 'IN cursen-vtr.

titte .tlgehule trimm fr in tlgtse tettet uttnt mit 'mating nf its stmt.i

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN': t

Be it known that'I, PASCHAL COLVIN, of Pecatonica, in the State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufactureof Cheese-Vets; and I do hereby declare that thel following is a. full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to make and use `the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming part of this specication, in which-3 lFigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved cheese-vatthrough the line .c x, tig. 2.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the same, through the liney y, iig. 1. Y

Figure 3 is a detail view of the agitator.

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the same. Y

,Figure 5 is a reduced bottom view of the vat, showing thccirculating-pipes.

Similar letters ofreference indicate like parts. i t t The object ofthis invention s rto provide anapparatus which will accomplish theformation `and manipula.- ton of cheese-curds in an edective andeconomical manner.

It consists of a semi-cylindrical vat, composed of the shell I J, havinga' water-space, d, as shown,

The vat is supported by legs H H H H, as shown. t

A {ixed to and underneath the vat, is a furnace, D, of anysuitable-known'form', as that shown. This furnace is provided with aslide-plate, G, sliding in horizontal grooves over the fire-boli, asshown, .thus serving-to Vshut off the heat from direct contact with thevat, whenever it is necessary to do so, in maintaining the tempera tureof the water in the vat at a certain degree. VThis is accomplished bymoving the plate wholly or partially from above the ire. i i

In order to obtains. better diffusion of the heut throughout the water,crculati'ngpipes arejaxed to the bottom of the outer shell J of the vat,which pipes are coiled in anylsuitable manner above the furnace, andthen branch out toward the ends of thevat, as shown at iig. 5.

These pipes communicate with the water-space between the shells I and J,at the central coils, and also at the ends of the branches, wherebyn'circnlatic'n of heated water is set up, and the whole eguably heatedfrom a. comparatively small heating-surface. 1 i Y The cutting-frame isfor the purpose of cutting the curd formed in the vat into cakes orblocks of suitable 'dimensions to facilitate the escape of the whey.

Heretofore the curds were lifted out from the vat, and carried tothecheese-press, but, -by means of the semi-cylindrical form of tho vat,and the cutting-frame, the cnrd is separated from the inner surface ofthel vat, and cut longitudinally and transversely by means oflongitudinal cutters a a a, and the transversecutters b b b, ne., bysimpiy revolving the shaft A in its bearings t t, whereby the curd willbe cut into cakes of suitable size to permit the perfect eliminationl ofthe whey, as aforesaid. t

The cutters a a a a are affixed tothe radial barsY K KK, which* areequal in length to the radius of the arc of the inner shell I of thevat, whereby the outer longitudinal cutter will pass in contact withsaid shell, and cleave or separate the adhering curd from the same.

The transverse cutters b b b, Btc., are aixed between the shaft A andthe longitudinal cutter a', asshown.`

B is the crank-handle. v

The. cutting-frame. can be lifted fromthe vat, as one end of its shaftrests'nnder a pin in one bearing,rand in au open bearing at the other,as shown. i

i The smoke passes 'ofi' from thefurnace through the holes e e', to thepipe E.

The plug m of thc spout Q is perforated near its lower side, for thepurpose of permitting the escape ofthe whey. A plug, n, serves to closethis hole onperforation, when it is requisite to do so.

The spout Q opensv internally into the vertical semicircnlar chamber l,which latter is provided with a strainerplate,f, which slides, invertical grooves in theend of the inner shell, and is withdrawnvertically, when the curd is to be discharged through the spout, intothe hoop of the cheese-press, placed beneath the said spout.`

